Work & Careers
El trabajo y las carreras
⏱ 45-60 minWhat you'll learn
- ✓ Name common jobs and describe what they involve
- ✓ Talk about work experience and part-time jobs
- ✓ Discuss future career plans using the future tense
- ✓ Express ambitions using me gustaría and quiero
- ✓ Describe qualities needed for different jobs
Grammar Focus
Essential grammar for this topic with exam tips and links to full explanations.
Future plans with querer/esperar/pensar
Use these verbs + infinitive to talk about career aspirations.
Examples:
Quiero ser médico
I want to be a doctor
Espero trabajar en una oficina
I hope to work in an office
Pienso estudiar ingeniería
I'm thinking of studying engineering
Me gustaría ser profesor
I would like to be a teacher
⚠️Exam tip: Using different verbs (quiero, espero, pienso, me gustaría) shows variety!
Conditional for ideal jobs
HigherUse the conditional to describe your ideal job or what you would do.
Examples:
Mi trabajo ideal sería...
My ideal job would be...
Trabajaría al aire libre
I would work outdoors
Ganaría mucho dinero
I would earn a lot of money
No tendría que madrugar
I wouldn't have to get up early
⚠️Exam tip: The conditional is perfect for Higher tier - it shows complex language!
Learn more about Conditional Tense →Preterite for work experience
Use the preterite to describe past work experience.
Examples:
Hice prácticas en una oficina
I did work experience in an office
Trabajé como camarero
I worked as a waiter
Aprendí mucho
I learned a lot
Fue una experiencia útil
It was a useful experience
⚠️Exam tip: Work experience is a common speaking topic - prepare preterite answers!
Learn more about Preterite Tense →Impersonal se for job descriptions
HigherUse "se" constructions to describe what you do in a job.
Examples:
Se trabaja con niños
You work with children
Se necesita paciencia
You need patience
Se gana bien
You earn well
⚠️Exam tip: Impersonal "se" is sophisticated - use it in writing for higher marks!
🔗 Key Verbs for this Topic
Quick Reference
Expressing Future Plans
Use me gustaría + infinitive (I would like to), quiero + infinitive (I want to), or voy a + infinitive (I am going to).
Me gustaría ser médicoI would like to be a doctor
Voy a estudiar en la universidadI am going to study at university
Verb Conjugation Tables
trabajar
| yo | trabajo |
| tú | trabajas |
| él/ella | trabaja |
| nosotros | trabajamos |
| vosotros | trabajáis |
| ellos/ellas | trabajan |
querer
| yo | quiero |
| tú | quieres |
| él/ella | quiere |
| nosotros | queremos |
| vosotros | queréis |
| ellos/ellas | quieren |